10 Places to Grab a Drink with Friends

As we get closer to the holidays, friends begin arriving in town to visit family and college students return home for the semester. There’s nothing like heading out to grab a drink and catch up on the latest news.

Here’s 10 places to grab a drink with friends this holiday season:

* : This Hauppauge bar has a rotating menu of 52 beers on tap, plus bottled brews and free food on Tuesday nights (like waffles made with beer). There’s always something new to try and often you can hear live music.

* : If you prefer to stick to Budweiser and Coronas, head next door to Pub 347 in Hauppauge. This local bar offers a cozy atmosphere to stop and shoot pool, play a game of darts and watch the sports game of the day.

* : This Irish-style pub on Veterans Highway offers a selection of domestic and imported beer with Happy Hour Specials from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Mondays to Fridays. If you have the guts to get up and sing, join for Karaoke nights on Wednesday and Friday.

* : This gastropub, hidden in Hauppauge’s Industrial Park, serves upscale American comfort food with a fully stocked bar. Visit at night to see the main dining room transformed into a dance floor with a Ladies Night on Wednesday, country music on Thursdays.

* : Stop by to check out a wall-length, hardwood mahogany bar that runs the length of Butterfields. It’s got a classic look. Sip drinks and then dance to a DJ on Thursdays from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., or listen a rotation of live bands performing on Fridays.

* : A great place to stop any time of the day, Applebee's after-10 p.m. menu features half-priced appetizers and twofers on a selection of beers and mixed drinks. Two nearby locations include Lake Grove’s Smith Haven Mall and off Long Island Expressway Exit 53.

* Dave & Buster's: Relive those college days of late-night drinking and marathon Halo/Super Mario Bros./Pong sessions with a modern twist at its Islandia location.

* : Typical barfood not cutting it? How about a fresh sashimi platter to go with a tall Sapporo? Nisen in Commack transforms from a chic restaurant to transplanted-from-Manhattan club on weekends.

* Nappertandy's: Tandy's on Smithtown Main Street has DJs, drink specials and a party atmosphere, making it great for a fist pump or two.

* O's Food and Wine Bar: If you aren't much of a beer drinker, try stopping by O's Food and Wine Bar in St. James for an elegant European-style cocktail bar an tapas bar. Try one of their signature drinks like the O's Flirtini or the Ginger-Lychee Mojito if you are feeling adventurous.